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A Howl-oween Tradition: Dog-Friendly Activities at Riverside Family Halloween Fest 2025

When we say Halloween in Riverside is for everyone, we mean EVERYONE — not including the furrier members of the family we consider our babies too. 

Bring your pups over to Joel Weeks Park at 10 Thompson Street on Sunday, October 26th (11am-3pm) for the Riverside Family Halloween Fest and let’s have a barkin’ good time!

From free treats to the much anticipated annual Dog Costume Party, here’s everything happening for the doggos at this year’s Riverside Family Halloween Fest:

Dog Costume Contest 

Show off your dog’s best Halloween costume and get a chance to win prizes from local vendors and businesses. The contest starts at 12pm. Register your pet​ HERE.

Free Dog Treats 

We’ll be giving away free treats to all the doggos. You better come early though as they come in limited quantities.

​Local Dog Vendors

If you missed the Riverside Dog Lovers’ Market last month, here’s your chance to shop delicious treats and cute dog accessories while supporting small businesses.

Photo credit: Fetch’n Pet Photography

Free Photo Booth

Immortalize your Riverside Family Halloween Fest experience with your pooch by snapping a pic at the free photo booth by Fetch’n Pet Photography.

Doggy Donative Drive

The event is free to attend but feel free to bring new or gently used dog toys and supplies to be donated to Toronto Humane Society!

All these fun activities and ​more surprises await you, your pooch and the whole family at the  Riverside Family Halloween Fest and Dog Costume Party on Sunday, October 26th!

We’ve got an exciting lineup of events happening in the neighbourhood this Halloween so be sure to check @riverside_bia on Instagram and the Riverside Blog for updates!

BLOG: No Tricks, Just Treats: Halloween 2025 Community Events in Riverside

We acknowledge and thank the City of Toronto, Government of Canada and FedDev Ontario for support of this event as part of the ‘Riverside Ramps it Up’ project through the Transit Expansion Construction Mitigation Fund 2025.

Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition: Gin Amore Cocktail by AURA (Feature 1 of 7)

Are you ready for a flavourful fall in Toronto’s Riverside? The Riverside BIA and seven amazing local businesses are hosting the first installment (of hopefully many) Riverside Flavours! 

On NOW until Nov. 15th, Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition features local venues offering a unique dish or drink around classic fall warming spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg. 

Are you all excited to see what our local business have for Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition?! We’re starting off strong with a feature of Aura’s Gin Amore.

Gin Amore Cocktail

Participating Business: AURA (@auratoronto)

Address: 686 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1G9

A popular nighttime destination in Riverside, bar and cocktail lounge AURA sticks to their guns with the Gin Amore Cocktail, a sleek seasonal drink made with cinnamon and nutmeg. You can enjoy the Gin Amore Cocktail in the moody atmosphere of AURA’s lounge interiors or out on their heated patio for those chilly autumn nights.

More about Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition:

 

More than just a showcase of culinary creativity, Riverside Flavours is also a chance for you to show support for local businesses in the Riverside neighbourhood. 

Here’s an awesome bonus: when you try these featured items, you can enter our raffle and get a chance to win a local dining prize pack!

With every order of any Riverside Flavours item, you can enter our raffle and vote for your faves in 3 fun categories! There will be weekly and grand draw winners — plus, an esteemed panel of food & drink experts will be voting for their top dish or drink!

To view the full contest rules and important raffle information about Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition (and HOW to enter the raffle), click HERE!

Read through the fine print of Riverside Flavours – Fall Edition and come right back to the blog to read more about the featured dishes and the BIA businesses behind them!

Check @riverside_bia on Instagram and the Riverside Blog in the coming weeks for updates on Riverside Flavours –  Fall Edition!

We acknowledge and thank the City of Toronto, Government of Canada and FedDev Ontario for support of this campaign as part of the ‘Riverside Ramps it Up’ project through the Transit Expansion Construction Mitigation Fund 2025.

Riverside Businesses We Love #1: Testimonials From Riverside Local Love

And just like that, we are into week 2 of Riverside Local Love!

If the first week flew by, don’t worry – there is still lots of time to take part as it’s ON until Nov. 6!

As a campaign, Riverside Local Love aims to highlight and support the many amazing small businesses in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood.

The mechanics are super simple: Shop, dine, use services or leave a Google Review for a Riverside BIA business; enter our raffle up to once a day; and we’ll contact you by email if you’re a winner!

The prizes, you ask? $250 gift card for (3) weekly draw winners and $500 gift card for (2) grand draw winners — and the winner gets to pick a local independent business of choice from our list.

To view the full contest rules and important raffle information about Riverside Local Love (and the submission link for the raffle), click HERE!

BLOG: Riverside Local Love is back October 6th! Here’s How it Works

To our first batch of weekly draw winners, congratulations! If you entered the raffle and didn’t get lucky this week, don’t worry, we have three more Weekly Raffles to go and our Grand Prize Raffle as well!

In the meantime, here’s a few of the wonderful locals who’ve participated in Riverside Local Love and what they had to say about their favourite Riverside businesses:

“As an Irish person living in Canada, Irish Design House holds a special place in my heart. Walking in feels like stepping back home — the craftsmanship, textures and little details all reflect that true Irish creativity and charm. I love that they bring authentic Irish-made pieces to Toronto, supporting artisans while sharing our culture in such a beautiful way. It’s one of my favourite shops in Riverside and always makes me feel a little closer to home.” – Emma

“BlessedLove is a family-run business that not only prepares authentic Jamaican meals but is all about supporting the Caribbean community! Every meal is cooked to perfection!” – Marty

“I love the atmosphere of community coffee shops and local vintage shops, which the Riverside neighbourhood has plenty of.” – Honghao

Check @riverside_bia on Instagram and the Riverside Blog for regular updates on Riverside Local Love!

Thank you to the City of Toronto and Government of Canada’s Transit Construction Mitigation Fund for support of Riverside Local Love as part of the ‘Riverside Ramps It Up’ project.

Is Riverside’s The Vintage Hall the East End’s Hottest Shopping Destination?

In case you missed it, October 3rd was a double celebration. It wasn’t just the Riverside Vintage Crawl’s biggest installment yet — it was also the grand opening of the latest member of the Riverside community: The Vintage Hall!

Occupying a massive 2,700-square foot retail space at 754 Queen St E, The Vintage Hall is a treasure trove of vintage goods, from clothing and accessories to homeware and memorabilia. 

For owner Kyle Burton, The Vintage Hall is a physical manifestation of his creative vision. “Seeing the space inspired me to create The Vintage Hall. I saw the potential. I fell in love with the idea of what the space could be,” said Burton.

Enlisting the help of local artist Eric Fong and his distinct artistic flair, Burton transformed the space into the visual treat that it is now while retaining as much of the space’s original character as possible to pay homage to previous tenants.

On his hopes for The Vintage Hall: “I hope The Vintage Hall becomes a must-see for people visiting the East End. I feel like we fall under the radar when it comes to Westenders looking for something to do out this way. I hope our store can help attract more people from across the city.”

Burton also plans to make The Vintage Hall a place to host community events and workshops like denim repair, clothing swaps and poetry reading nights.

If you’re looking for a sign to head down to Riverside, this is it! Here are three reasons why you should make The Vintage Hall your new go-to for all things vintage: (Make sure to read until the end for a surprise!)

1. Second Voyage Vintage is still here!

If you passed by the old (and now vacant) Second Voyage Vintage location at 734 Queen St E, don’t worry! You will be relieved to know that they just moved to a new home. In fact, Second Voyage Vintage occupies the main floor of The Vintage Hall.

2. The Vintage Hall is also home to many other vintage purveyors.

Not only is The Vintage Hall the new home of Second Voyage Vintage, they have friends now too in the Vendor Market on the second level of the store like LuveWantShop, Polyester Plus and Prime Rewind. Interested in becoming a vendor? Send The Vintage Hall a DM!

3. More vintage goodness awaits in the basement of The Vintage Hall.

Oh, did you think The Vintage Hall just had two floors? Make your way down to the Bargain Basement for more cool vintage finds. Aside from chic clothing and cool knick-knacks, you’ll also find larger pieces there like furniture and fixtures.

*The Vintage Hall, located at 754 Queen St E, is open daily 11am-7pm with shortened hours on Sunday and Monday. Store hours are subject to change. Follow @thevintagehallto on Instagram for updates!

Did some retail therapy at The Vintage Hall recently? If you made a purchase of at least $10, enter Riverside Local Love and get a chance to win a gift card ($250 for weekly draws, $500 for the grand draw) from a Riverside business of your choice. Read the full mechanics of the raffle HERE.

Follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check out the Riverside Blog for regular updates on exciting updates from the amazing local businesses in the neighbourhood!

No Tricks, Just Treats: Halloween 2025 Community Events in Riverside

For the month of October, the Riverside BIA and our friends from several community organizations/groups have prepared a spooktacular lineup of activities for the whole family to enjoy. Mark your calendars and get your costumes ready — here’s what’s happening in Toronto’s Riverside this Halloween: 

RIVERSIDE HALLOWEEN FEST 

Date & Time: Sunday, October 26th | 11am-3pm 

Location: Joel Weeks Park (10 Thompson St)

Enjoy free pumpkin patch, treats, face painting, photo booth, dog costume party, a local vendors market and more surprises! Get your costumes ready for the spook-tacular annual Riverside Halloween Fest with tons of activities for the whole family (including pets). Hosted by the Riverside BIA and Toronto Dog Moms. More details and FREE tickets HERE.

HOWL’O’WEEN PARTY 

Date & Time: Tuesday, October 28th | 3:30pm-5:30 pm

Location: Ralph Thornton Community Centre (765 Queen St E)

Calling all little ghouls and goblins! Get ready for a fun-filled Halloween celebration that’s going to be a treat (free treat bags, while quantities last!). For children and their caregivers. Presented by the Ralph Thornton Community Centre, South Riverdale Child-Parent Centre and the Toronto Public Library Queen/Saulter Branch. Get your FREE tickets HERE.

DEGRASSI PUMPKIN PARADE

Date & Time: Saturday, November 1st | 6pm-8pm

Location: Degrassi Street Park (125 De Grassi St)

One last time to let your jack ‘o lantern shine! Bring your pumpkins out to Degrassi Street Park, take part in a community pumpkin parade, and leave your pumpkin for composting by the City of Toronto.

To stay updated on the latest events and programming in the neighbourhood, check out @riverside_bia on Instagram and the Riverside Blog!